The following story is from the book

These stories are lovingly provided to download as a convenience to teachers or communities otherwise unable to acquire the book. Each book in this storybook series also includes an appendix with questions for discussion and reflection, a glossary of words and phrases used in the stories, a bibliography, and an index. These books may be purchased from the Louhelen Bahá’í School bookstore for $15.25 each, including shipping in the United States, or $23.00 to most international locations. Email: Louhelen@usbnc.org for details. Graphic Design by Pepper Peterson Oldziey Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois 60091-2886 Copyright © 2004 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States of America All rights reserved Published 2004 067 06 05 04 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America Illustrations: cover © 2004 Otto Donald Rogers; pp. 74-80 © 2004 Winifred Barnum-Newman; pp. 72-73 © 2004 Martine Hubbard Helwig; pp. 104 © 2004 Cam Herth; pp. 107-112 © 2004 Leona Hosack; pp. 33-39, 56-57 © 2004 Jeannine Hunt; pp. 42-48 © 2004 Carrie Kneisler; pp. 88-89 © 2004 Marilyn Lindsley; pp. 50-55 © 2004 Omid Nolley; pp. 50-55 © 2004 Majid Nolley; pp. 65-71, 83-87 © 2004 Cindy Pacileo; pp. IFC, 1, 10-16, 49, 58-64, IBC © 2004 Barbara Trauger; pp. 18-23, 98-103 © 2004 Carla Trimble. All other illustrations © 2004 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States.

34 The Báb: The Titles of the Báb

I am the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things. I am the Countenance of God Whose splendor can never be obscured, the Light of God Whose radiance can never fade.— The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, p. 12

The Báb: The Titles of the Báb 35

When the Báb was a boy, there was great excite-ment in the land. Not just in Persia, where He lived, butall over the world. Religious thinkers were discussingthe old prophecies in the Holy Books, and they knewthat a new Messenger of God would soon appear.One of the titles of this Messenger of God was thePromised One, because His coming had been promisedin all the religions of the past.

ThePromisedOneWritten by Jacqueline MehrabiIllustrated by Jeannie Hunt

36 The Báb: The Titles of the Báb

Even when He was very young, people knewthere was something special about the Báb. He was akind and clever Boy who was loved and respected byHis family, His schoolteacher, and His friends. Butthere was something more. Everyone was amazed atHis great knowledge and how He understood thingsnobody else did.

He was a young Man when He first told MulláH. usayn that He was the One promised by God hun-dreds, even thousands, of years before, and that Histitle was the Báb.

“O thou who art the first to believe in Me!” Hesaid to Mullá H. usayn. “Verily, I say, I am the Báb, theGate of God. . . .”

Some time after this, the Báb went on a pilgrim-age to a place believed by Muslims to be the holiestspot on earth. It is a square building.1 Inside is a BlackStone where people have prayed for thousands ofyears, ever since the time of Adam. The Muslims alsobelieve that Muh. ammad made a night journey toheaven from that spot.

1 This square building in the court of the Great Mosque at Mecca is known as the Kaaba. It is the goal of pilgrimage for Muslims.

37The Báb: The Titles of the Báb

Every day when the Báb was on pilgrimage,He walked with the crowds of Muslims round andround the square building where the Black Stone waskept. The other pilgrims were all praying that Godwould send the Promised One, Whom they alsocalled the Qá’im.

On the tenth day the Bab stopped and turnedto face the pilgrims.

He called out, “I am the Qá’im whose adventyou have been waiting for!”

Everyone stopped walking and praying andstared at the Báb, wondering if they had heardproperly.

“I am the Qá’im whose advent you have beenwaiting for!” repeated the Báb.

Qá’im means “He Who shall arise,” and even thechildren knew how wonderful He would be. If anyoneeven said the word Qá’im, everyone would stand upout of respect, wherever they were. And here was theBáb, saying He was that Holy Person! For a moment,nobody knew what to think.

38 The Báb: The Titles of the Báb

When the Báb made His claim a third time, mostof the pilgrims decided to ignore Him. They continuedwalking round the Black Stone, repeating their prayerasking God to send the promised Qá’im!

The Báb eventually returned to His home inShíráz. The governor of the town was waiting forHim, and he was furious. People were already talkingabout the teachings of the Báb and His claim to bethe Qá’im.

People also called the Promised One by othertitles. One was the Mihdí. Another was the TwelfthImám. Mihdí means “One Who is guided.” TheTwelfth Imám was a holy person who had disap-peared a thousand years before, and some peoplebelieved he would return one day.

All these titles—the Promised One, the Qá’im,the Mihdí, the Twelfth Imám—really mean the samething. The return of the Holy Spirit of God in the per-son of the Báb. But hardly anyone understood at the

39The Báb: The Titles of the Báb

time. The governor even had the Báb banishedfrom Shíráz in the hope that everyone would forgetabout Him. The same thing had happened to otherMessengers of God, including Moses and Jesus andMuh.ammad. They had all been persecuted.

People didn’t forget about the Báb, though.The country was in an uproar of excitement.Thousands became believers and loved Him withall their hearts. They called the Báb the “Lord of theAge” and spread His teachings from one end of thecountry to the other.

Another title of the Báb was the Herald ofBahá’u’lláh. He told His followers about Bahá’u’lláhand that they should watch and pray and lead goodlives so they would recognize Him when He appeared.The Báb called Bahá’u’lláh “He Who will be mademanifest.” He also called Him “my Best Beloved.”

Bahá’u’lláh called the Báb “the Beauty of God.” ★